It’s not often where a trendsetting restaurant in Dubai will be very welcoming for kids and families, but Zengo ticks all the right boxes and provides a stimulating Pan Asian culinary experience your entire family will enjoy.

Located in the Le Royal Meridien Resort and Spa in the Dubai Marina, to reach the main seating area and veranda, there is a single elevator that takes you up to the very expansive seating area, complete with a very modern, Eastern Zen inspired decor. Though we opted to dine indoors, the terrace overlooked a stunning view of the Marina.

Ricky, our server, explained that each dish is prepared for more than two persons and this ‘sharing’ concept is integral to Zengo. Our starters included a flavorful steamed chicken dim sum while the two sushi platters included the ‘Shake’ or salmon sushi and the other was ‘Maguro’ or tuna sushi. To enhance the sushi flavors was the slightly tart papaya and pomelo salad with mango and peanuts.

For our mains, we sampled the ‘Spicy Crab Ramen’, a thick comforting yellow curry broth with Alaskan king crab which hit all the right notes. The ‘Nasi Goreng’ was traditional fried rice with corn-fed chicken breast and shredded egg. The ‘Beef Szechuan’ was tender chunks of beef sirloin in spicy gravy with snow peas, baby corn, and mushrooms that went well with the jasmine rice. And the ‘Charred Chicken’ was marinated charred half chicken sitting on top of a rich coconut broth, accompanied by an herb salad. This was a slightly more barbeque style dish that had a rustic, smoky flavor.

There’s always room for dessert and we sampled the Lime Yuzu Cheesecake—which included a base with hints of sesame seeds, accompanied by burnt milk ice cream. The second was a white chocolate Semi Fredo, garnished with peanut brittle and topped by a finely chopped green apple salad. And the showstopper dessert of Zengo–the Pralus Bio Equatuer—or the dark chocolate pudding topped with hot honeycomb and accompanied by a scoop of honey ice cream. The sweetness of the ice cream and the golden honeycomb added a crunch to the slightly bitter dark chocolate pudding.

The Verdict: The food in Zengo is not only Insta worthy, but fresh and delicious. The service is friendly and with just the right ambiance, makes this a great place for a celebratory dinner or just a treat meal out.

Contact: 04 317 6000

Instagram: @ZengoDubai 

www.zengo-dubai.com